Internet service providers (ISPs) that choose to participate in a market typically need to acquire information about their competitors. Competitive information allows the ISP to employ strategic and/or tactical decisions related to opportunities that may increase a subscriber base and/or identify which market areas may be particularly receptive to the services provided by the ISP. Additionally, information about the ISP and its competitors permits a comparison to reveal market presence and/or market dominance.
Obtaining information related to the presence of competitive ISPs and/or the market share in any particular geographic market may entail conducting surveys. Surveys, whether oral or written, typically yield low sample rates when compared to the total number of existing subscribers. Additionally, answers to the surveys are usually provided by a human respondent, who is prone to inaccuracy regarding details of their existing ISP. For example, a human respondent may state the name of their browser application or computer manufacturer instead of the name of their ISP.
Additionally, because oral and written surveys are perceived as a burden to subscribers, ISPs are not likely to enjoy opportunities to determine whether the subscriber's status has changed. For example, a subscriber to an ISP is not typically bound by contracts that restrict and/or discourage competitive shopping with alternate ISPs. Thus, if the subscriber agrees to answer survey questions at a first time, such subscriber is not likely to also agree to another survey question at a second time (e.g., two-months after the first survey). Instead, the subscriber is likely to view the additional survey questions as a burden not worthy of their time.